EXECUTIVE COACHING AS A BUSINESS-BUILDER

by Brien Palmer

INTRODUCTION:

Companies grow by a combination of sales increases, acquisitions and support from the internal capabilities. Most companies manage their internal capabilities well enough with respect to matching production to sales. They do less well in developing leadership skills and organizational systems necessary to effectively manage the increased complexity brought on by growth.

Consider the basis for most promotions: doing well in current positions. After promotion, few companies train new managers in their new responsibilities, especially the interpersonal skills that they will need. As a result, they continue to hang on to the areas of their old jobs with which they've gotten comfortable. And consequently, they may be spending time micro-managing or doing the job of their subordinates. They are working just beyond their old responsibilities. Without proper training on what to do in their new managerial role, these unprepared leaders might lack confidence and "play it safe". Instead of a promotion up one position, they go up one-half of a position.

This same phenomenon, called "role-compression", can go all the way up the ranks. As a result, companies in growth mode start to experience frustration in what should be "boom" times. And this is not diagnosed within the organization, for obvious reasons. (Who is going to say "Our management is not sufficiently skilled to lead us at this point"?)

To avoid this situation, enlightened organizations are dedicating more time and resources to leadership development. Larger organizations are likely to have a staff dedicated to this activity. For smaller organizations, the challenge is meeting the need for executive development without maintaining full-time staff. For many companies, executive coaching is the best answer.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

First, we meet with you to determine your most pressing business issues, relate these issues to executive skills, and get an informal idea of your perceived strengths and weaknesses. Then we select a tool for a baseline assessment, such as a 360 ° leadership-skills evaluation , a structured experiential event, or a series of interviews. We perform the assessment, review the composite results with your executive staff, and recommend a structured set of developmental activities.

At that point, we will facilitate a match between each executive and a skilled executive coach. (See How to Select an Executive Coach, attached.) The structured developmental activities become the performance goals of the executive, for which he or she is accountable to the chief executive for achieving, with the assistance of the coach.

Coaching sessions are typically held every two weeks over a series of ten sessions. (Behavioral change requires time and reinforcement.) After the initial sessions, the executive, the coach, and the executive sponsor candidly assess progress and decide the best, path forward.

EXECUTIVE ACCEPTANCE

Many-perhaps most-executives have been exposed to evaluative reviews from college, performance reviews, etc., and tend to be more open than others to coaching. Many already view executive coaching as a benefit in career development. All executives in our experience, without exception, have viewed their coaching as extraordinarily helpful to their skill development.

Managers may resist coaching if they think that they are singled out. Because of this, and because coaching is so beneficial overall, we recommend that coaching opportunities be administered to the entire executive body, and not just to one or two individuals.

WHAT IF WE DID NOT DO IT?

Business will move forward with or without coaching. But there will come a time when your organization will need to call on executive skills that may not be developed. It is far preferable to have leadership capacities developed in anticipation of growth, than to face a predictable yet preventable crisis without the desired skills.

RESULTS

Executive coaching can change lives, and help organizations reach new levels of performance. (See the before-and-after chart, attached.) An investment in executive development brings arguably the highest ROI of any development you can make.

How to Choose an Executive Coach

 Four Expectations of Effective Coaching:

1. Focus on Opportunity — The client will clearly identify the situation or environment, and understand the opportunities for and potential barriers to desired performance.
   
2. Measures of Success — You will know what specific outcomes (consequences) to target, and which measures of success (goals) to expect in moving toward those target outcomes.
    
3. Models of Behavior — You will identify, perform, strengthen and align specific behaviors that will produce the desired measures and outcomes
   
4. Influences on Behavior — You will plan for and create the triggers and consequences that progressively drive and reinforce the desired specific behaviors.

Three Core Competencies for an Effective Coach:

1. Observation — The ability to accurately sample and validate the client's current situation and behavioral readiness to perform, through direct individual observation and collective stakeholder feedback (360 degree).
   
2. Analysis — The ability to accurately pinpoint client performance in context, and determine what prompts or reinforces the behavior.
   
3. Feedback — The ability to effectively identify and communicate qualified observations about performance behaviors, help the client understand a need for behavior change, challenge the client to create a timely plan with acceptable strategies and action steps for addressing the needed change, and help the client implement and maintain the ability and willingness to perform at desired levels.

Six Selection Criteria for an Effective Coach:

1. Training — Knowledge of coaching competencies and techniques, including participation in recognized educational and professional development programs.
   
2. Experience — Prior performance as a coach and mentor, including relevant roles in leadership and management.
   
3. Competency — Proven ability to perform in the desired situation or environment using the core competencies of a coach.
   
4. Commitment — Dedication as an actively practicing executive or performance coach.
   
5. Approach — Demonstrated support for the roles of positive attitude and emotional intelligence in influencing behavior.
   
6. Accessibility — Availability and responsiveness within the client's chosen structure and environment.

An Executive VP's Perceived Behaviors Before and After Coaching

Please call us at InterLINK to learn more about it.

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